Synopses & Reviews
The sixteen short stories featured in Skip Horack's prize-winning debut collection paint a richly textured vision of the American South. Set in the Gulf Coast over the course of a year torn halfway by the arrival of Hurricane Katrina, these stories, filled with humor, restraint, and verve, follow the lives of an assembly of unforgettable characters. An exonerated ex-con who may not be entirely innocent, a rabbit farmer in mourning, and an earnest young mariner trying to start a new life with his wife — all are characters that populate the spirited cities and drowsy parishes in Horack's marvelous portrait of the South. "A knockout winner" for guest judge Antonya Nelson,
The Southern Cross marks the arrival of a standout new voice.
Review
"Season by season, Horack's debut collection finds much to love, more to respect as he divulges the secrets, traditions, and memories that defy and define this iconic land and its people." Booklist
Review
"These stories evoke places with a sharp, sensuous and at times magical skill. They also dramatize characters and states of mind with a fierce truthfulness and sense of understanding." Colm Tóibín
About the Author
Skip Horack was born and raised in Louisiana, attended Florida State University, and practiced law for five years in Baton Rouge. His work has appeared in Epoch, the Southern Review, Narrative Magazine, and other journals. Horack currently teaches at Stanford University, where he was also a Wallace Stegner Fellow. He lives in San Francisco.